282 Linnean Society. 
the nest of Anthophora, readily waived his right of description in 
deference to Mr. Newport’s wish to describe the insect himself. 
In the ‘ Zoologist’ for March of the present year, Mr. Smith inci- 
dentally mentioned that he had bred two distinct species of Mono- 
dontomerus from the cells of Osmia bicornis and those of Anthophora 
retusa. Anxious, in the summer of 1848, to discover the larvee of 
Melecta punctata, he procured from a colony of Anthophore at Charl- 
ton in Kent a number of larve and pupe; but all the larve, though 
differing much in colour, produced Anthophore only. While sepa- 
rating the larve from the pupe, he observed in a cell partially broken 
open, containing a pupa of the bee, a small larva by its side slightly 
moving; and on removing the pupa, he found twelve more minute 
larve feeding upon it, which they continued to do for ten or twelve 
days, by which time they were fully grown. When first observed, 
the pupa of the bee was about one-third consumed, and at last not 
a vestige of it remained; all that the cell contained besides the larvee 
being a small portion of yellow dust or small granules. They re- 
mained in the larva state for several weeks, and then changed to 
pupz, in which state they continued for about a fortnight, when 
they became perfect and active insects. ‘The species of Monodonto- 
merus bred from the cells of Osmia also fed upon the pupa, and un- 
derwent the same process of development. 
Mr. Smith concludes by referring to a statement of Mr. Westwood 
in his ‘ Introduction to the Modern Classification of Insects,’ that he 
had frequently observed Monodontomerus flying about and entering 
the holes made in walls by Osmie, in which they were doubtlessly 
about to deposit their eggs; and to his mention of a species com- 
municated to him by M. Audouin, in which the males have rudi- 
mentary wings; and suggests that it would be exceedingly inter- 
esting to determine whether the species of Monodontomerus, and the 
Anthophorabia also, might be identical with the insects observed by 
Audouin and Fonscolombe. 
April 17.—N. Wallich, M.D., in the Chair. 
Read a paper entitled “Remarks on the genus Atriplex.” By 
Joseph Woods, Esq., F.L.S. &c. 
After observing, that, as far as the British species are concerned, 
the genus Atriplex had remained till lately as it appeared in the 
‘English Flora’ of Sir J. E. Smith in 1828, Mr. Woods proceeds to 
notice the additions made to it by Mr. Babington. The first of these 
is A. nitens (A. Hermanni of Moquii-Tandon), belonging to a divi- 
sion of the genus in which some of the flowers are perfect and pro- 
duce horizontal seeds. The author thinks the division a sound one, 
though on one occasion he has found a few horizontal seeds, the 
produce probably of perfect flowers, in A. littoralis. The second is 
A. marina, introduced by Linneus as a plant found in England, and 
distinguished from A. littoralis by its serrated leaves. Hudson ad- 
mitted it under the name of A. serrata, but most of our later bota- 
nists have considered it as a variety of A. Jittoralis, and it must be 
placed among the doubtful species. 
